Chapter 2

one week later...

Hannibal watched his team from his position up in the church steeple. All Face had to do was get Billings out of the real estate office, and Hannibal and Murdock would do the rest. B.A. was waiting around the corner with the van, to complete the snatch and grab. One wrong move, and everything would be blown to hell.

Through the binoculars, Hannibal watched the door to the real estate office open. He looked at his watch.

Fifteen minutes. Face is losing it.

Face came out first, and Billing was right behind him - with his left hand grasping the back of Face's shirt. His right hand held a gun to Face's back.

"I know the rest of you are out there!" He shouted. "Show yourselves, or your friend is gonna die!"

Hannibal dropped the binoculars and took off down the tower. He pulled on his favorite black gloves on the way down, and pulled his 9 mm from the inside pocket of his coat. He had to end this before Billings shot Face. He exited the church through the side door, and moved to the end of the alleyway, pressing his back against the red brick church.

"Billings! You wanted us here, you got us! Let him go and we'll talk!"

"Come out, Smith! I want to see your face before I kill you!"

Hannibal peeked around the corner. Billings' gun was pressed hard into Face's back.

It was blown to hell.

Suddenly, Face threw an elbow back into Billings' stomach. It threw his captor off balance enough for Face to spin around and punch him, hard. Billings went down, and Face made to grab his gun, which had skidded across the pavement. As he bent to grab the gun, the pain from his ribs decided to make itself known, and he doubled over, and dropped to his knees. He heard footsteps coming his way, and he thought for sure it was Billings, and he was going to die.

"What the hell happened?"

It was worse than Billings. It was Hannibal.

"He got the drop on me, Hannibal. I'm so-"

"Save it," Hannibal interrupted as he hauled Face to his feet. The van screeched to a halt right next to them. Hannibal threw open the side door. "Get in the van, Face."

Face slowly climbed in and fell back onto his usual seat. Hannibal, to his shock, climbed in with him and shut the door.

"Drive, B.A."

B.A. slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and they sped out of town. tr

When they were about fifteen minutes out of Hinkleyville, Hannibal unbuckled his seat belt and moved in front of Face.

"I know you're hurt, so don't lie to me, Face. What in the hell happened back there?"

"I was in, Hannibal. I almost had him after five minutes... the next thing I knew, I had a gun in my back."

"What con did you play?"

"I uh - I did the Insurance Agent con - the one we did on that developer."

"Damn it, Face! That con didn't work with him... what the hell made you think it would work on Billings?"

"It was working on him, Hannibal! It just didn't work on his partner. He saw through me like a pane of glass."

"This isn't like you, Face. If this were three months ago, you'd have had him outside, and we'd have wrapped up this job without a problem. You haven't been yourself since Kyle and his men got the drop on us. You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Not particularly."

"Tough, Lieutenant."

"Hannibal-"

"Start with why you doubled over in the street picking up that gun."

Face sighed, annoyed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep this from Hannibal. He unbuckled his seat belt, and slid off his sport coat. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and let Hannibal open it up.

"How long?"

"A week. One of Kyle's goons used me for batting practice. Murdock was there. I felt fine then, but after we ran back to base from the dairy farm, I had Maggie take a look."

"And?"

"Two cracked ribs."

"Face, you have to tell me stuff like this. If I had known you were injured, I would have brought Murdock along on this one. Why did you hide this from me?"

"You really want to know?" Face nearly shouted as he buttoned his shirt. "You ride me harder than you do B.A. and Murdock. You always make me do extra running, even when I don't come in last on your little obstacle courses. You get me into these insane plans of yours, and I almost always nearly get killed trying to pull the cons to get you what you need. Hannibal, I'm not sure how much more I can take living under your thumb!"

Hannibal sat silently, arms crossed. He stared down his Lieutenant, not sure what to say. He wondered how long Face had felt this way, and he wasn't sure what to say or do that would bring Face down from this level of anger.

"B.A.," he said finally. "How far to Bad Rock?"

"About an hour, Hannibal. Why, you wanna see that lady doctor friend of yours again?"

"Face needs a doctor. Billings roughed him up."

"I'll get us there fast, Hannibal."

"Seriously, Hannibal? This is your solution? Bringing me to Maggie?"

"We have a serious problem here, Face."

"And ditching me in Bad Rock is your solution?"

"You need to rest. Trying to take down a scuzz like Billings with two cracked ribs is going to get you killed. We're taking you to Dr. Sullivan, and we'll pick you up after the mission is done."

"And exactly how are you and B.A. going to pull this off without me?"

"We'll take care of it. This garbage going on with Billings is going to end, no matter how long it takes for me to end it. I'm not going to lose a man along the way."

Hannibal climbed up into the front with B.A.

"We'll talk about your outburst after B.A. and I deal with Billings. Is that clear, Lieutenant?"

"Crystal."

The van pulled up in front of Maggie Sullivan's house exactly an hour later, as B.A. had predicted. Hannibal got out first, and opened the side door. He extended a hand to help Face, but the Lieutenant ignored him and got out, heading for the front door. Face was knocking as Hannibal came up behind him. Moments later, Maggie opened the door.

"Hannibal, Face! You two are the last people I expected to see! What brings you to Bad Rock?"

"Face's ribs."

"You told him."

Face nodded.

"Come in."

Face stepped in first, Hannibal right behind him. Maggie closed the door and turned to them.

"How are your ribs?" She asked Face.

"They're still broken."

"He almost got himself killed on our last job. Maggie, I need you to make sure he rests while we finish up the job we started about an hour from here. We'll come back as soon as the job is done."

"Face, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Maggie."

Hannibal checked his watch.

"I have to go." He kissed Maggie on the cheek, then turned to Face. "I'm sorry, kid, but I had to do this. For your own good."

Face nodded.

Hannibal turned and left the house.

TBC...